VIDEO: liQcity Panel Discussion with Democratic City Council Candidates

Apologies for the delay, and without further ado, enjoy the video of the District 26 Democratic City Council candidates, held on July 21st at Manducatis Rustica in Long Island City.

VH1 reality star & Ravenswood Houses resident Kwame Smalls was recently kicked off the ballot for a lack of valid signatures. David Rosasco experienced the same fate, but is currently appealing the decision to remove him from the ballot.

Onto the video. Of course, the only person who is not very audible in the video is the moderator, but luckily there is a transcription:

Question 1: Candidates will introduce themselves and make reference to any experience they’ve had in Long Island City, and answer a question that was submitted by a local business merchant: are you prepared to serve as District 26 City Councilperson on day one of your term, and what experience has prepared you for this job?

Question 2: LIC is an evolving neighborhood, in part due to the rezoning in 2001. There has been an onslaught (and continues to be) of residential and commercial development. There are many views on the addition of high-rises to the lowland community, including the arrival of Hunters Point South (5000 affordable income units) – what is your view on the transformation of LIC in the past five years, and the direction it is heading into the next decade?

Question 3: What is your role as City Councilperson in balancing the different interests between public development, private development, and the community interests while LIC continues to transform?

Question 4: As we know, small businesses in this economy face all kinds of obstacles no matter where you are. In Long Island City we have some specific obstacles that small businesses face, including rising rents, lack of organization between city agencies including the Dept. of Buildings and the Fire Dept., lack of general capital, issues in the neighborhood with transportation (the 7 train shuts down pretty regularly every winter, issues with buses down Vernon Blvd), issues with parking in general. As City Councilperson, how would you support small businesses on these specific issues?

Question 5: LIC faces the chronic issue of residual toxicity in our immediate environment as a legacy of the industry. Chemical refineries are transitioning into condo buildings, and in the process the community is living next to brownfield sites in transition. We also have the toxic oil spill in Newtown Creek. Maspeth and Sunnyside are also on the border of the Creek. The LIRR is still idling diesel trains all day long near where people are living, and there is exhaust from the Midtown Tunnel. How will you as City Councilperson assess and address the threat to the health and well being of the community, with regards to these issues of toxicity in the neighborhood?

• Rosasco appeals to get on ballot [Queens Chronicle]

• Long Island City: meet your District 26 City Council candidates [liQcity]

• Deirdre Feerick [official website]

• Brent O’Leary [official website]

• Jimmy Van Bramer [official website]